‘£94m offer’: Man City make ‘decisive move’ to sign Guardiola’s ‘great desire’
According to reports, Manchester City have made a ‘decisive move’ in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz, who Pep Guardiola views as a ‘perfect’ replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.
Wirtz, 21, has been a massive player for Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso, playing a huge part in their German league and cup double last season.
Alonso’s side only lost one match across all competitions in 2023/24 – the Europa League final against Atalanta.
He scored 18 goals and provided 20 assists across all competitions last term and has performed well again this term despite his side’s drop in performances, racking up 28 goal involvements in 41 appearances.
As one of the highest rated attacking midfielders in Europe, Wirtz has unsurprisingly been linked with a transfer to Man City this summer.
Guardiola will be in the market for a new attacking midfielder following club legend De Bruyne’s exit following the expiry of his contract.
It has been reported that Wirtz and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White as the Cityzens’ top targets to replace De Bruyne.
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Gibbs-White would bring Premier League experience and while Bundesliga signings don’t always do well in England, there is no doubt that the German international is the better player.
With that being the case, Wirtz will cost significantly more money, with Leverkusen reportedly valuing him at 110 million euros (£94million).
According to Spanish website Fichajes, City are ‘preparing’ to meet the Bundesliga champions’ demands.
Indeed, Guardiola is keen to bring in his ‘great desire’ and a player he views as a ‘perfect’ De Bruyne replacement.
This ‘decisive move’ comes after City ‘initiated contacts’ to bring Wirtz to the club.
Wirtz is also a target for Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, though it seems City are willing to go all in on this signing.
The report adds that the 21-year-old is ‘tempted’ to play in the Premier League:
Leverkusen, aiming to protect him with a clause close to 150 million, may be forced to lower their demands if the player chooses not to renew. In this context, the English offer, close to 110 million, gains strength and positions City as the favorite to seal the transfer.
Furthermore, the club’s new sporting director, Hugo Viana, has played a key role in the operation, assuring Wirtz a privileged place in Guardiola’s scheme.
City’s strategy aims not only to sign talent but to build its future around him. And Wirtz, tempted by the idea of shining outside Germany, seems increasingly closer to the Etihad.
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